Pneumatic signal



F eb. 28, 1928.

C. COOPER PNEUMATIC SIGNAL Filed June 23. 1927 Feb. 28, 1928. I 1,660,785

c. COOPER PNEUMATIC SIGNAL I Filed June 23. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CLARK COOPER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

rnnumsrrc SIGNAL.

Application filed June 23,

The object of the invention is to provide improvements in fluid-actuated audible signals, and especially such as are actuated pneumatically and in multiple, either to provide increased volume or a seriesof musical notes to produce a harmonious chord,

There are many places and conditions in which 'a signal of this character is well adapted for use, but for the purpose of this explanation reference will be made to the use of such signaling means'upon locomotives. In the operation of railroads there are definite occasions when it' is necessary for the engineer to signal from the front end of a train to a conductor or other member of the crew. at the rear end thereof, and in the case of freight trains across flat country the distance becomes very great, often involving a span of one hundred fifty cars, or thereabouts, plus the distance that the second party may have gone back to warn an approaching train. v

The usual steam whistle, besides costing several times as much to operate, sends its sound waves in a general upwardly direction, even when the whistle is tilted or turned into a horizontal direction, there bei ing no sound-directing means. present.

Also, when the whistle cord is pulled to full open position and there is high steam pressurein the boiler, the note of the whistle becomes so high as to be practically inaudible to the human car, even at closerange and therefore so much more so at the usual disvtance between the ends of a train. The difference between the actual operating pressures of steam and pneumatic signals is the difference roughly between a wide variation around 200 to 300 pounds in the boiler in the one case, and an easily maintained even 120 pounds or thereabouts in the air brake reservoir in the other case, reduced at the signal to about 60 pounds.

Having in mind thesegeneral differences in the operating conditions between steam and ir si ,als, thevalue of the present in /ventioi1 will be better understood. An ob.-

ject is to provide improvements in the arrangement of a series of horns or the like -upon a locomotive, so as to direct their respective notes unrestrained by the smoke stack and similar obstructions also carried by the locomotive,'to direct their notes partly.'directly towards the rear ofa train being drawn; by a locomotive equipped with the device," and to'direct certain of their notes 1927-. Serial No. 200,786.

forwardly but in such manner as to prevent the horns or the like from becoming filled with rain, snow, sleet, and dirt, due to the usual forwardgmotion of the train, to prov1de for the application of air pressure to the movable parts of each signal element in a manner hereinafter described, to provide an improved connection between the several horns and their respective sound-producing elements, and to provide for the mounting of the series of horn elements and their connections as a-unit upon a specially designed bracket carried by a locomotive (or other vehicle), so as to permit the ready removal and substitution of one unit, or any of its elements, for' another such unit or correspending elements.

With these gand other objects in mind, the present invention comprises furtherdetails Of'COIlStIllCtlOIl and operation which are fully brought out in the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 isa perspective view ofthe upper forward portion of a locomotive equipped with one embodiment of the' invention; Fig. 2 is .a top plan view ofa signal embodying the invention; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the improved bracketand showing a signal unit of four sound-producing elements in dot-and-dash lines; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged diametrical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings,the;;1mproved bracket' may be mounted ing any sultable manner'upon a locomotive or in fact upon any other vehicle, but in the present instance is shown as comprlsmg an angle iron,

portions 4 from which extend integral angularly positioned arms 5, the outer free end portions of which arms form sockets 6, in

which are; normally seated the respective,

cylindrical portipns .7 of sound-producing elements (shown in Fig. 5)

ice

and normally secured in said sockets by means of collars 8.

Each element is formed of the cylinder 7 terminating in one direction in a radial flange 9, in turn merging into a cylindrical flange 10, the free endportion of which, is

integrally connected to an enlarged cylindrical portion 11, into which leads one end Said reed beyond the cylinder 11 is pro= vided with a reduced cylindrical flange 17,

' extending axially beyond a shoulder 18. A

sleeve 19 is normally positioned within the flange 17 and is itself provided with a radial flange 20, in slidable engagement with which latter is the flanged portion 21 of an internally threaded coupling member 22, which is adapted to be screwed upon the freely extending externally threaded end portion of said reed.

Horns of various shapes and sizes are provided such for instance as the short relatively high pitched horn 23, the longer and lower pitched horn 24, both of which are preferably rectilinear and are directed rearwardly along the opposite sides of thesmoke stack of the locomotive shown in Fig. 1, and

. other short and long horns 25 and 26 extending forwardly and thence laterally downi wardly so as to direct their respective notes likewise forwardly and laterally and at the same time prevent the entrance of rain, sleet, snow, and dirt into their freely extending open end portions. 7

The smaller end 27 of each horn (see Fig. 5) extends inwardly through the sleeve 19 and is provided with an outwardly flared flange 28 which partly encircles the rear end of said sleeve and is adapted to be firmly secured between said sleeve and the shoulder 18 of the reed, in addition to this smaller end of the horn being brazed, soldered, or welded to the surrounding sleeve 19.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 1, the fluid inlet member 12 of Fig. 5 may in reality, comprise a reduction L, each adjacent pair of such Ls being connected together by pipes 29, separated by a T 30, into which leads a reduction L 31. When there are more than two soundproducing elements such as are here shown, the several pairs are connected as thus described and their respective ,reducin Us 31 are 1n turn connected together by pipes 32, extending outwardly from a suitable reducmg T 33, which in turn is connectedthrough a valve 34 of any well-known design and actuated by a lever 35 and cord 36 with a source of fluid pressure (not shown such for instance as an air pressure tank *0 the kind used in well-known air brake systems.

From the drawings,'it will be observed that when necessary to replace, repair, or ad-f other musical notes being defined and controlled by the size and shape of the respective horns which, while adapted to be positioned in any desired direction with respect to the vehicle, have been found to insure a most desirable result when positioned as shown.

Furthermore, it is to be noted that each of the sound-producing elements instead of being supported upon an arm of a. bracket or yoke, comprising a plurality of such arms,

mayif desired be supported upon a bracket 1 connected directly to the flange 3 of the angle iron base independentl of any of the of said elements.

ed by the pipe in which the control valve is situated through the respective branch pipes 32 and sub-branch pipes 29 into the respective casings 11 isequal in all cases so as to insure absolutely simultaneous and coincident operation of all of said elements.

And still further, while not limiting the invention iniany way to the exact diameters of the pipes and connections illustrated, such a relationship may be present as for illustration, a inch pipe at 34:, inch pipes at 32, 4 inch pipes at 29, the latter connecting with the interior of the respective casing through a restricted inlet port of as little as 3/32'or even 1/16 inches which may be used toward the end of reducing the extremely high pressure in the air or similar supply to as low a pressure as approximately pounds per square inch within the respective sound-producing elements.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A signal adapted for vehicles and comprising a plurality of fluid-actuated soundproducing elements, sound amphfymg means for each of said elements, one of said means being adapted to be directed towards the rear of a vehicle while the other means are-directed towards angularly different positions, and power supply means connecting till again, it should be noted definitely that the distance from the source of fluid supply as representthe several elements together andto a common source, said supply means comprising a common supply pipe, a reducing connection leading into a plurality of branch pipes, a second reducing connection leading from each branch into secondary branch pipes, and a reducing connection leading from eachof said secondary branches into the respective elements.

2. A signal comprising a plurality of fluid-actuated elements, pipes connecting pairs of said elements, pipes connecting pairs of said first pipes to a common source of fluid pressure, and means to control the application of pressure through said pipes to said elements simultaneously.

3. A signal adapted for vehicles and comprising a plurality of fluid-actuated soundproducing elements, each of which comprises a casing having a restricted inlet, tubular means adapted to connect with asource of relatively high fluid pressure, and tubular means connected to'said first tubular means through a reducing connection, each of said last-named means leading through a second reducingconnection into a third set of branch tubular means, said lastnamed tubular means leading into the respective casings of a pair of said elements through said restricted inlets, and the fluid pressure from an extraneous source reducing step by step after'passing each reducing connection and again upon entering each of said casings.

4. A signal adapted for vehicles and comprising a plurality of casings forming portions of respective fluid-actuated sound-producing elements, each of said casings having a restricted inlet, a pipe adapted to convey fluid pressure from an extraneous source and of a given cross sectional area, branch pipes together having a total cross sectional area greater than the area of said first pipe and res ectively of less diameter than first pipe,

an, .a second set ofbranch pipes connected with each of said first branches and being respectively of less diameter than the diameter of said branch and together totalling a greater cross sectional area than that of said branch, and each of said last-named branch plpes leading through said restricted inlet into the casing of a corresponding soundproducing element. r

5. A-signal adapted-for vehicles and comprising a plurality of fluid-actuated soundproducing elements, sound amplifyin means for each of said elements, one of sai means being adapted to be directed towards the rear of a vehicle while the other means are directed towards angularly diflerent positions, and power supply means connecting the several elements together and to a common source, said supply means comprising a common supply pipe and reducing connections to operatively connect each of said elements to said supply pipe. 7

6. A signal comprising a plurality of fluid-actuated elements, pipes connecting pairs of said elements, pipes connecting pairs of said first pipes to a common source of fluid pressure, and means to control the application of pressure through said pipes to said elements simultaneously, the connections between the source of pressure and the said elements including a reduction in their cross sectional area.

7. A signal comprising a plurality of fluid-actuated elements, pipes connecting pairs of said element, pipes connecting pairs of said first pipes to a common lead line from a source of fluid pressure, and means to control the application of pressure through said pipes to said elements simultaneously, the fluid inlet of each of said elements being of less area than the cross section of said lead line.

8. A signal comprising a plurality of fluid-actuated elements, pipes connecting pairs of said element, pipes connecting pairs of said first pipes to a common lead line from a source of fluid pressure, and means to control the application of. pressure throu h said pipes to said elements simultaneous y, the combined areas of the fluid inlets of said elements being less than the cross sectional area of said lead line.

In testimony whereof I have afixed my signature:

" CLARK COOlER. 

